A child safety device and system is disclosed that alerts one or more authorized users when a caregiver walks away from a child in a car seat or similar location, when leaving a child alone is dangerous or otherwise undesirable, such as in a hot car. Detailed logging enables a review of all times that the caregiver was detected as moving too far from the child in a monitored location. The device includes at least one pressure sensor to detect the presence of a child in a location, a Bluetooth Low Energy beacon to provide a signal when energized, and a battery electrically connected to both the Bluetooth Low Energy beacon and the at least one pressure sensor, the Bluetooth Low Energy beacon being energized when pressure is applied to the pressure sensor, and the Bluetooth Low Energy beacon being deactivated when no pressure is applied to the pressure sensor.

System and method for obtaining and recording information about cargo includes a frame defining a cargo-receivable compartment, a position determining system at least partly on the frame and that allows for determination of position of the frame, an identification system on the frame that obtains information about cargo when present in the compartment, a memory component that receives and records information about position and movement of the frame, and the obtained information about cargo when present in the compartment in association with a unique identification of the frame, and a communications system on the frame to enable communication of information to and from the memory component.

A vehicle seat includes sheet-shaped sensors configured to detect electric signals associated with the biopotential of a seated passenger, the vehicle seat being configured to remove noise caused due to static electricity to stably measure a bioelectric signal (e.g., heart rate) of the passenger. A seat back includes the sheet-shaped sensors. A cushion pad placed on a seat back frame is covered with a trim cover. Vertically-extending conductive fabric in a belt shape is disposed on an outer surface of the trim cover. The portion where the conductive fabric is disposed has a three-layer structure of the conductive fabric, a skin, and a wadding. A free end of the conductive fabric drawn into the seat back is provided with a J-hook hooked onto a lower frame bridging portion, thus part of the conductive fabric and the lower frame bridging portion contact each other to be electrically conductive with each other.

Various systems and methods for providing an occupant profiling system are described herein. A system for profiling a vehicle occupant includes a vehicle control system, comprising: a sensor fusion circuit coupled to a plurality of sensors installed a vehicle seat, the sensor fusion circuit to: determine that a human occupant is seated in the vehicle seat; sample a backrest sensor arrangement and a base cushion sensor arrangement of the vehicle seat to obtain backrest sensor data and base cushion sensor data, when the human occupant is determined to be seated in the vehicle seat; sample, when the human occupant is determined to be seated in the vehicle seat, a height sensor to obtain a height sensor value; and statistically determine from the backrest sensor data, the base cushion sensor data, and the high sensor data, whether the human occupant matches a reference profile.

A vehicle detection system includes an RFID reader, a detection device, and an ECU. The RFID reader transmits a transmission signal including at least a signal that supplies power. The detection device includes a second antenna unit that mutually transmits and receives a signal to and from the RFID reader, an RFID detection circuit that is activated using the signal that supplies power included in the transmission signal received by the second antenna unit as driving power and that outputs a detection signal to the second antenna unit, and a switch circuit that switches an electrical connection portion between the second antenna unit and the RFID detection circuit to a contact state or to a non-contact state according to a state inside the vehicle. The ECU determines the state inside the vehicle on the basis of the detection signal received by the RFID reader.

Method and apparatus are disclosed for providing discrete autonomous notifications to a passenger of a vehicle. An example vehicle includes a plurality of seats, a plurality of audio transducers, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine a passenger seat corresponding to a passenger having a predetermined destination, determine a notification based on the predetermined destination, and transmit, via one or more of the plurality of audio transducers, a notification to the passenger based on a determined passenger head position.

An in-vehicle device includes: a parking state detector configured to detect a parking state of a vehicle; a vehicle cabin situation detector configured to detect a situation in a vehicle cabin of the vehicle; a child information detector configured to detect presence of a child and position information on the child in the vehicle cabin based on a signal from a sensor provided on a child seat in the vehicle cabin; a temperature information acquisition unit configured to acquire temperature information in the vehicle cabin; a notification unit configured to, when the child is left in the vehicle cabin, notify outside of the vehicle that leaving of the child has occurred; and a controller configured to, when the vehicle is in the parking state, control a notification mode of the notification unit according to information including the temperature information in the vehicle cabin.

One variation of a method for renting a vehicle includes: receiving a signal from a fleet manager, the signal specifying a current availability of the vehicle for rent; updating a visual indicator arranged on the vehicle according to the signal, the visual indicator visually detectable from outside the vehicle; receiving identification information of a user proximal the vehicle; enabling access to the vehicle for the user in response to verification of the user as a driver of the vehicle; determining, through a sensor arranged within the vehicle, that the user is seated in a driver's seat within the vehicle; and enabling ignition of the vehicle for the user in response to determination that the user is seated in the driver's seat.

A system comprising: a heater located within a steering wheel and a heater located within a vehicle seat; wherein the steering wheel is a first plate and the vehicle seat is a second plate and a shift in a signal is monitored from the first plate, the second plate, or both so that a presence and absence of an occupant is detected, and wherein the heater in the steering wheel and the heater in the vehicle seat are a sensor.

A seat occupancy sensor includes: a first sensor group having a plurality of first sensor cells that are arrayed in a front-rear direction of a seat and become conductive as a load is applied thereto; a second sensor group having a plurality of second sensor cells that are arrayed in the front-rear direction, farther on a front side of the seat and closer to an end of the seat in a width direction than the first sensor group, and that become conductive as a load is applied thereto; and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit determines that someone is sitting on the seat when both of at least one of the first sensor cells and at least one of the second sensor cells become conductive.